[SleepTech]

Hello All! First post here. I am about halfway through my LVN and am extremely interested in correctional nursing. Some background: I am a 39 y.o. male with nearly 15 years as a Certified Hyperbaric Technologist and as a Sleep Tech. I've hit a ceiling as both so I decided to go back to school. I'd love to get my RN but I have a family to take care of so LVN was the way to go for now. I subscribe to the California Dept of Corrections job list and I'm getting probably 10-15 new openings every 2 weeks. I spoke to the nurse rep at my local prison, Donovan in San Diego, and she said that they prefer at least one year of experience in patient care. I'm hoping that my years of experience will suffice. Question: I'm not all that impressed with the basic pay scale but I have heard that over time is nearly mandatory and that it can increase your pay by 1/3 per year. Anyone have that experience?

[tirzo13]

I worked at Donovan.
I hated it there, even though as a agency LVN i took home double what the state LVN's did.
I was glad to get out of there.
Moral is very bad, the CO's don't really escort you, but as a male myself, i don't expect escorts.

Yes, you will do alot of mandated OT.
And also, they won't let you go to school.
We had a girl in RN school, and they would not work with her at all, even with the RN consult/evaluator going to bat for her.
Just goes to show you how they view the LVN's.
The senior RN's there are pathetic, real government employees if you get my drift.

And san diego is my hometown, i was glad to get out of there, and now that i have my RN, things are going good.

I'd say try the VA in san diego, they will work with you for school.
also, there is the california veterans home in chula vista, if you want state benefits.

All the LVN's are holding out for a pay raise, but i don't see it coming to the LVN's, but the state RN pay is great.
Try to get your RN, i'd suggest you find a LVn job that will work with you with school, and will value you.
Donovan does not value their LVN's at all.
Also, you can forget having weekends off, they make the LVN's work weekends so they can make them work doubles, as weekends are of course when all the call outs are.
Agency LVN's at least get weekends off usually.
You will see, that is one of the many things ******* off Donovan LVN's.
I have worked at 3 prisons in california.
Donovan is bad.